Paris – A solar-powered car, an SUV with hydrogen capsules, an electric air taxi to transport passengers between key urban hubs… these were some of the futuristic technologies on display at the four-day VivaTech exhibition which was recently held in Paris.
The solar electric car Lightyear 0 can produce almost half of its energy through solar charging. The solar panels are located on all the sun-facing surfaces of the car.
NamX, for its part, is a SUV that runs on hydrogen. Hydrogen can be stored both in a fixed tank and six swappable capsules. The capsules, which can be swapped in a few minutes, provide a range of 300 km while the fixed tank provides a range of 450 to 500 km.
The other striking vehicle was an electric air taxi called Volocity. This zero- emissions aircraft with very low level of noise currently has a range of 25 km. The aircraft has been designed for transporting passengers from an airport to inner city centre as well as around a city. According to the company, it will be used on a trial basis at the Paris Olympics later this summer.
VivaTech is a major tech exhibition every year in the French capital that aims to accelerate innovation by connecting startups, tech leaders, major companies and investors responding to our world’s biggest challenges.
Each year, over four days in Paris, VivaTech is Europe’s biggest technology and startup event, where participants can discuss and experience the most disruptive topics in tech with world-premiere demos, launches and conferences in a collaborative ecosystem.
